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I think I saw that on FB last night, lol.
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That's good!
I like the use of reactions. Only thing missing is Sherlock's reaction.
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Sherlock´s new image. Curls are a thing of the past, this new supermodel look is on!
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The lack of eyebrows totally freaks me out.
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In Heian Era Japan (somewhere between the years 800 - 1200 AC) the hairstyle Ben is sporting in the video and the remowed eyebrows were worn by the high-elite and were considered the ideals of beauty.
I find it interesting that he wears exactly this style as the greatest supermodel of the world. Is he a Japanese antique enthousiast?
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nakahara wrote:
In Heian Era Japan (somewhere between the years 800 - 1200 AC) the hairstyle Ben is sporting in the video and the remowed eyebrows were worn by the high-elite and were considered the ideals of beauty.
I find it interesting that he wears exactly this style as the greatest supermodel of the world. Is he a Japanese antique enthousiast?
They were wrong. *giggle*
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Only Sherlockians could do that kind of research into a crazy comedy!
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tonnaree wrote:
nakahara wrote:
In Heian Era Japan (somewhere between the years 800 - 1200 AC) the hairstyle Ben is sporting in the video and the remowed eyebrows were worn by the high-elite and were considered the ideals of beauty.
I find it interesting that he wears exactly this style as the greatest supermodel of the world. Is he a Japanese antique enthousiast?They were wrong. *giggle*
I forgot to add that they wore their teeth blackened too.
The thing was supposed to be very sexy when you observed it in the semi-permanent twilight of Japanese noble residences:
So it may look unusual, but its nothing new under the sun, really.
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All has been done before..
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I kind of like the look.
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I'm getting used to it now, now that I'm over the initial surprise. And the fun reactions to it are enjoyable.
I hadn't really thought of it, but it is like the Japanese style nakahara posted about.
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My art association was rather this one:
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My first reaction: "Wow, what a bad photoshop job!"
My second reaction: "WTF?!"
My third reaction: "I don't know anymore."
My fourth reaction: "Ben is awesome for doing this!"
Last edited by Vhanja (November 20, 2015 9:58 pm)
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Wow, the Mona Lisa one is awesome!
I too thought initially that I am looking at photoshop. But after the first surprise wore off, I kinda liked this cameo. It´s hilarious and althrough unusual, it paradoxicaly emphasises the unique character and beauty of Ben´s face that could belong to a woman as well as a man.
Online!
Well said, nakahara.
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Lol... that was my reaction, Vhanja! (also..... wow/geez at the actual realistic background from fans!)
I've known of the first one for a good while, having seen mentions/gifs pop up here and there, but never watched... wasn't sure if it was too 'stupid' for my tastes, although the idea of having so many tongue in cheek star cameos (including Bowie!) sounded cool... now doing the same with a second one? (and Ben?!?) Maybe I should catch up and see it? (or just wait for people to put just the Ben clips up ;D)
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So, not to spur unnecessary hand-wringing over a film we only have a silly little trailer to gauge it by so far, but I'm curious… what do you guys make of this:
Basically, a number of trans-rights activists are boycotting the film over Cumberbatch's portrayal:
“Cumberbatch’s character is clearly portrayed as an over-the-top, cartoonish mockery of androgyne/trans/non-binary individuals,” according to the petition, started by a user called Sarah Rose. “This is the modern equivalent of using blackface to represent a minority."
I know a lot of you are deeply felt/familiar to issues like that, so… do you think they have a point, or making too big a deal over it? I understand moving past unfair stereotypes and having sympathetic/better portrayals (or using actual trans actors for roles like that!), but… the movie itself is obviously an over-the-top comedy that doesn't take itself seriously! And I know Ben would have no intention of it being seen as a mockery, but he's not the issue at all… the choice of a 'cis' actor and portrayal is. So part of me kind of agrees it's a bit much, but… it's a campy comedy… they're making 'fun' of a lot of types of people!
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have to agree to some extent. When I first watched the trailer, I was just excited to see Benedict and was laughing at other parts of the trailer that I thought were actually funny. Upon rewatching it, I saw that All was being asked the same question that SO many trans people are still asked and really needs to stop - "what genitals do you have?" However, while we are given a reaction shot of All after this question (the giggled and the subsequent "oops"), because it is a trailer we do not know for sure whether that is All's actual reaction to that question in the movie. Trailers are often edited to give people a certain impression and often play to more common beliefs or ways of thinking even if the film ends up subverting those things or just not being that way at all. So, I don't think we can really judge the film and how the character All is portrayed until we actually get to see the scene in its full context. The film is, after all, about two aging models who are no longer current, they're the relics of a time past and if the rest of the trailer is any indication, the film is going to make fun of not only their stupidity but also the fact that they are out of the loop with some more current things. I think it's too soon to say that All is the butt of the joke, when otherwise it would seem that it is actually Hansel and Zoolander who are the butts of the jokes in the film.
But whether some of the concerns ring true or not, I think there is something positive, which is what initially gave me approval of the character. When asked whether they are a female model or a male matter, All replies, "All is all." I like this, because even if it turns out to be just a small moment, the fact that someone can be more than one gender, and that the terminology used is "all" and not "both" takes us away from the imposed binary a little bit, which is something that still needs doing.
Whether All is an exaggeration or not - again, I don't think we can say just yet whether it's a wholly bad exaggeration. This is a comedy, where we see exaggerated version of fashion (though fashion shows can often be exaggerated anyway), so I don't think necessarily that All's look is damaging or defaming. It's surprising, especially knowing that it's Benedict we're looking at, but is it ugly? It wouldn't be that surprising to see a look like that on a high fashion runway, so even if it is a bit exaggerated because the film is a comedy, I can't see it, at this point, as being negative or ridiculing trans people specifically, but more just general fashion, perhaps.
I'm certainly not the most offendable person, though I doubt I'm the least offendable person either, among other trans people. That is partly to do with the fact that I am closeted, non-binary passing as female (I still go by "she/her"), and have never experienced real discrimination based on gender, but I still don't think that this is really that bad. At the very least, we have to see it in its full context before we can really pick it apart and analyse how it really depicts anything, like I said before.
Like you hae already alluded to, I doubt Benedict would do something like this if, when he read the script, it seemed like something horribly offensive. Now, if it does turn out to be offensive in the way it is edited - that is not Ben's fault. Things change from page to screen sometimes, but Benedict would have chosen the project based on the page, it is likely, and we cannot blame how the material was treated beyond his control.
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Very well said, Yitzock
As a naive/ignorant cis female, I didn't notice anything offensive to trans people when I first watched the trailer, I just thought the film was simply mocking the often OTT fashion industry. It just didn't occur to me. It wasn't until I heard about this boycott on the radio that I realised with dismay, the effect it is having on the community. I hope this isn't the case with Benedict as well - I hope he is more aware than I am, and that he hasn't unwittingly offended lots of people with a thoughtless acting choice. I really hope that the role of All in the film turns out to be more than what we see in the trailer, in a good way!